Take-up device



y 1938- s. A. WARDELL 2,117,928

TAKE-UP DEVICE Filed June 26, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 E E z 4 g 27 l Z8 i E l I 1 I i 29 I l 1 I l I l Inventor 15 F/dfdaZZ g A llorneyS y 7, 1938. s. A. WARDELL 2,117,928

TAKE-UP DEVICE 5 A llomeys Byg mm M May 17, 1938. A WARDE 2,117,928

' TAKE-UP DEVICE Filed June 26, 19556 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 j/Z\E 246 J5 2.9 Q i 25 a i; ll J0 54- Inventor 6 A llomeys man,-

Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 26,

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in take-up devices designed more especially of a type to be employed in a handy cabinet-style retractible and projectible ironing board structure,

but has particular reference to built-in means to accommodate an extensible electric cord such as is usable in association with a conventional electric iron.

Considered from one viewpoint, and by way of contrast with similar prior art structures, novelty is thought to reside in the provision of a wall-type protector cabinet to accommodate a foldable drop-down ironing board, there being built into the same cabinet an enclosure equipped with accessories for automatically controlling an electric current supply cord to an iron such as may be stored, when not in use, in the same cabinet.

Novelty in chief appears to reside in the particular construction of a slack take-up device characterized by a coordination of pulleys and special accommodation means therefor, whereby to permit the iron and its cord to be paid out, automatically retracted, and kept under tension continuously to expedite handling the cord.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, pictorial in character, like numerals are employed to designate correspond ing mechanical details. In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view showing the collapsed or retracted ironing board, the door being swung open to expose the iron and other internal structure;

Figure 2 is a central vertical sectional view taken approximately on the plane of the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure l with the ironing board structure removed, the door removed, and the front face plate of the inner enclosure removed to expose the pulley arrangement;

Figure 4 is a cross-section which may be said to be taken approximately on the plane of the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side or edge eleva tional view showing the lower portion of the cabinet with the ironing board projected;

Figure 6 is a detailed elevational view of a slightly modified construction of the electric cord slack take-up device or unit;

Figure 7 is a vertical detail section, fragmentary in character, taken on the plane of the line 1-1 of Figure 6;

1936, Serial No. 87,515

Figure 8 is a section on the line 88 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a detail perspective showing an ad-. justable tension regulating block;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the stiles or battens to accommodate the block shown in Figure 9.

As implied by the introductory portion of the description, and as will appear more evident from the concluding claim, novelty is believed to reside in the ironing board cabinet and cord take-up unit in combination, the outstanding novelty being found in the construction of the cord takeup device usable in connection either with an electric iron, or other appliances, such as a toaster, percolator, or the like. That is to say, the dominating phase of the invention has to do with the slack take-up means.

Referring to the structure in combination, at-

tention is invited to Figure 1 wherein the walla type cabinet, which is of appropriate construction and material, is denoted by the numeral II. This is of rectangular form and provided with suitable attaching brackets 12 and a hinged door or similar closure l3. In the lower portion thereof is a shelf l4 to which the ironing board I5 is hingedly connected as indicated at IS. The shelf is so arranged in relation to the bottom of the cabinet as to provide a compartment I! for convenient storage of the conventional electric iron I8. The ironing board is swingable out to the position shown in Figure 5, and is supported here by a drop-down leg or prop l9.

Coming now to the electric cord slack take-up and automatic adapter means, attention is called to the numeral 20 which is shown in Figure 5 and designates a regulation rubber covered current conductor or so-called appliance cord. It is provided with a customary plug to go in a socket in the wall or elsewhere. The free adjustable end 22 is attachable to the iron or other electric appliance used in association therewith. The means on the interior of the cabinet serves to guide and take care of the slack, and this means is protected and concealed within the ironing board cabinet H. It includes an appropriate inner cabinet or enclosure denoted by the numeral 23. It includes a pair of spaced parallel sides 24, one end wall 24a and a cover panel 25. The other end wall of the inner cabinet 23 is formed by the end wall of the cabinet II as seen in Figure 3. The sides 24 of the inner cabinet 23 are fixed to the back wall 24b of the main cabinet I l. The upper inner surfaces of the sides 24 are provided with keepers, preferably in the form of notches or kerfs 26 arranged in opposed order to accommodate the tensioning block 21. This is provided with keys 28 selectively engageable with the keepers or notches 26 to elevate or lower the block. The numeral 29 designates an elastic tension element which may be a coil spring or equivalent structure. This is anchored at the upper end as at 30 to the block 21 and hangs centrally down where it is attached as at 3| to the central portion of a reciprocatory carriage or sheave assembly. This comprises a casing or sheath 32 for the master or traveling pulley 33. The numerals 34 designate a pair of fixed centering stop rollers or pins which cooperate with the V-shaped notches 35 in the sheath 32 to center it and limit the upward movement thereof. The action between the elements 34 and 35 is in the nature of a cam and is believed to be a desirable adoption in an assembly of this type. The intermediate portion of the electric cord is trained over the pulley 33 and extends down and is trained over a fixed pulley 36 mounted on one of the sides 24 in the lower portion of the inner cabinet or enclosure 23, where it leads out through a guide hole for at tachment to the iron [8 or other appliance (not shown). Thus, when the iron is drawn out from the compartment H, the cord is paid out proportionately and is kept under resilient stress to take up the slack. The automatic slidable adjustment of the traveling pulley or sheave 33 permits this. The return of the sheave to elevated position is governed by the tensioning spring 29 and the tension of the spring is regulated by setting the block 2'! in any of the aligned pairs of grooves in the series of grooves 25.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 6, the cabinet 23a is, with the exceptions pointed out hereafter, similar to the miniature cabinet 23. This cabinet 23a has side walls 24, a pair of end walls 24a and a back wall 24b. The interior of the cabinet 23a is divided by a longitudinal partition wall 50 into chambers 31 and 31a. The par-- tition 50 extends from the lower end wall 24a to a point below the upper end wall leaving a space 31b at the top which registers with both chambers 31 and 31a. In the lower end of chamber 31, the back wall 2%" has a row of openings 38. In the space 311) a pulley M3 is mounted on the back wall 24b. By this arrangement the sheave casing 32 rides on one side wall 24' and the parti tion wall 50 and the elastic tension element 29' loops around the pulley 4!] from one chamber 31a to the other chamber 37. The one end of element 29 is fixed to sheave casing 32' and the other end is fixed to a peg 39 which is detachably seated in any one of the row of openings 38 to adjust the tension on the sheave casing 32'. Sheave casing or carriage 32' is made like the sheave casing 32, as heretofore described, with notches 35 in the top which seat against the stop pegs 34. In the modified form of the invention the conductor cord operates the same as in the first described form of the invention, except that when it passes over pulley 33' the end 22' passes over a pulley 36 which is mounted on the lower end of the partition wall 50.

In this arrangement it is necessary to use an extra fixed pulley 40. So the principle of con struction is the same as already described. That is to say, the free end of the cord 22 can be paid out or reeled in as heretofore described. Generically, then, so far as the slack take-up device or unit is concerned, it embodies an appropriate enclosure provided with guide means for the slidable or reciprocatory sheath over which the intermediate portion of the cord is trained, spring tensioning means for automatically retracting the sheath, or allowing it to adjust itself to the extension of the cord. Novelty would appear to reside in this arrangement irrespective of the particular cabinet or closure and concealing features for the parts.

It is thought that the description taken in connection with the drawings will enable a clear understanding of the invention to be had. Therefore, a more lengthy description is thought nnnecessary.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that minor changes coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired.

I claim:

In combination, an upright support having at intervals of its height and adjacent to one of its ends horizontally disposed keepers, a sheave casing guided and movable vertically in said support, a sheave in said casing, an elastic tensioning element connected at one end to said casing, a horizontally disposed member connected to the opposite end of said element and adapted to be selectively engaged with and held against vertical movement in one of said keepers, and a cord trained over the sheave in the casing and adapted to be taken up by retraction of the casing by said tensioning element.

SOLOMON A. WARDELL. 

